‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness

This captivating, beautifully written, and moving story is about a boy whose mother is struggling with cancer. Complete with unique and dynamic illustrations it is not just something to read, it is an experience not to be missed.

Although written for tweens (9 – 13), this is an important book for adults to read because it gets to the heart of how a child’s thoughts and feelings can be conflicted and confused at a time of grief and loss. It is a sad story but not sentimental. The purpose is not to upset, but to bring about understanding and healing.

The backstory makes the authorship even more poignant. Patrick Ness was given an original idea from YA author Siobhan Dowd, who tragically died of cancer before she could write it herself. Here follows the book’s description, it is better that I don’t say more.

“The monster showed up after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming….. This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.”

3 responses to “‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness”

Hi Joanne,
My name is Meg and I run a site called Booknixie.com. I was looking for reviews of A Monster Calls to share on our site and I came across your post… If you’re open to it, shoot me an email at meg(at)booknixie(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Meg

An amazingly well written book which I read in one day having waiting time in the hospital! The story gripped me and kept me glued to the pages. The illustrations were abstract enough for them not to be distracting with the pictures going on in your own head! So healing at the end! 🙂